Globe holder



Feb. 14, 1956 B. A. WILSON ET AL GLOBE HOLDER Filed Sept. 22. 1951 INVENTORS HAM/M50 m acnqokmlmr United States Patent GLOBE HOLDER Bertram A. Wilson, Snmmerville, Ontario, and Donald C. McCormack, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignors to J. A. Wilson Lighting & Display Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a corporation Application September 22, 1951, Serial No. 247,894

Claims. (Cl. 240-128) This invention relates to a holder for electric light globes.

For supporting a light globe, most globe holders have screws, springs or the like which are exposed to view and unsightly. Often the supporting means jiggle loose when subjected to vibration. It is accordingly an object of this invention to devise a globe holder having supporting means which are concealed from view but which are readily accessible for removing or replacing the globe. It is another object of the invention to devise a holder in which the supporting means can be positively locked in place and will not be loosened by vibration.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a holder which will be flush with the outer surface of the globe and itself present a neat and smooth outer surface.

A globe holder constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a support having depending and outwardly projecting fingers adapted to engage the inner surface of a globe. At least one of the fingers is pivotally mounted on the support and is provided with a lever arm which may be swung outwardly in order to pivot the finger inwardly out of its globe engaging position. A sleeve free to slide up and down is provided on the support; in its upper position the sleeve permits the lever arm to be swung outwardly, but in its lower position the sleeve rests on the outer surface of the globe and prevents the lever arm from swinging outwardly.

In the drawings which illustrate this invention, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the underside of a globe holder having a pivoted finger, with the lever arm of the finger swung outwardly;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the holder, showing in full lines the lever arm swung inwardly and in dotted lines the lever arm swung outwardly;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, showing how a globe may be placed on or removed from the holder; and

Fig. 5 is a similar perspective view showing a globe in position on the holder.

In the globe holder illustrated, a metal support 1 has a circular base 2 and cylindrical sides 3 which are flanged outwardly at the top as at 3 to rest against the ceiling. The base 2 has a plurality of holes 2 through which the support may be screwed or otherwise secured to the ceiling. A conventional lamp socket 4 is mounted in the centre of the base, and a cylindrical sleeve 5' is provided around the sides 3 and may be slid downwardly thereon, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

Spaced equidistant around the base 2 and secured thereto by bolts 6 are three fingers 7, 8 and 9. The fingers 7 and 8 are rigidly secured to the base, and project downwardly therefrom and then outwardly. The finger 9 is similar in construction, but is free to pivot on its bolt 6 and has a lever arm 10 substantially parallel to the base 2 and having a downturned handle 10 at its free end. As shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 4 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the sleeve 5 is raised on the support 1, the lever arm 10 may be swung outwardly so that it extends beyond the periphery of the base 2, thereby swinging the finger 9 inwardly so that a globe 11 having an opening at the top may be slipped over the fingers 7 and 8 (Fig. 4) which engage the inner surface of the globe below its rim 11a. The arm 10 may then be swung inwardly to the position shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby the finger 9 is swung outwardly and also engages the inner surface of the globe below its rim (Fig. 3). The arm 10 does not extend beyond the periphery of the base, the handle 10a being substantially flush with the outer surface of the cylindrical sides 3, and the sleeve may be lowered to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 where it rests on the outer surface of the globe and prevents the lever arm from being swung outwardly until the sleeve is raised. The sleeve thus locks the finger 9 in globe engaging position.

As seen in Figs. 3 and 5, all unsightly supporting means are concealed from view, since the length of the sleeve is approximately equal to the distance of the globe engaging portions of the fingers below the base, whereby the sleeve surrounds the fingers, the base and the opening in the globe. The sides 3 and the sleeve 5 present a neat, smooth outer appearance.

It is thought that the construction and use of the invention will be apparent from the above description of the various parts and their purpose. It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A globe holder comprising a support having a downwardly facing supporting surface, a locking sleeve around the support, the locking sleeve having a lower edge and being movable between an upper and a lower position, a plurality of fingers secured to said surface and projecting downwardly therefrom and then outwardly for engaging the inner surface of a globe, one of the fingers having a pivotal mounting on said surface and being pivotable on said mounting about a substantially vertical axis, said finger having a lever arm extending under said surface from said mounting, the lever arm when the locking sleeve is in the upper position being swingable outwardly beyond the periphery of said surface to pivot said finger inwardly out of globe engaging position, the lever arm when swung outwardly extending below the lower edge of the locking sleeve so that said lower edge may rest on the lever arm, the locking sleeve when the lever arm is not swung outwardly being movable to the lower position where it surrounds the periphery of said surface thereby preventing the lever arm from swinging outwardly beyond the periphery of said surface.

2. A globe holder comprising a support having a generally downwardly facing supporting surface, and cylindrical sides extending upwardly at the periphery of said surface, a cylindrical locking sleeve around said cylinrical sides, the locking sleeve having a lower edge and being slidable on said cylindrical sides between an upper and a lower position, a plurality of fingers secured to said surface and projecting downwardly therefrom and then outwardly for engaging the inner surface of a globe, one of the fingers having a pivotal mounting on said surface and being pivotable on said mounting about a substantially vertical axis, said finger having a lever arm extending under said surface from said mounting, the lever arm when the locking sleeve is in the upper position being swingable outwardly beyond said cylindrical sides to pivot said finger inwardly out of globe engaging position, the lever arm when swung outwardly extending below the lower edge of the locking lever so that said lower edge may rest on the lever arm, the locking sleeve when the lever arm is not swung outwardly being slidable downwardly to the lower position where it prevents the lever arm from swinging outwardly beyond said cylindrical sides.

3; A globe holder comprising a support having a substantially horizontal base, and cylindrical sides extending upwardly at the periphery of the base, a cylindrical looking sleeve around said cylindrical sides, the locking sleeve having a lower edge and being slidable on said cylindrical sides between an upper and a lower position, a plurality of fingers secured to the underside of the'base and projecting downwardly therefrom and then outwardlyfor engaging the inner surface of a globe, one of the fingers having a pivotal mounting on the underside of the base and being pivotable on said mounting about a substantially vertical axis, said finger having a lever arm extend- 1 ing from said mounting substantially horizontally under and adjacent the underside of the base, the lever arm being of such length that when said finger is in globe engaging position the end of said lever arm is adjacent the periphery of the base, the lever arm when the locking sleeve is in the upper position being swingable' outwardly beyond the periphery of the base to pivot said finger inwardly out of globe engaging position, the lever arm when swung outwardly extending below the lower edge of the locking sleeve so that said lower edge may rest on the lever arm, the locking sleeve when the lever arm is not swung outwardly being slidable downwardly to the lower position where it surrounds the periphery of the base thereby preventing the lever arm from swinging outwardly beyond the periphery of the base.

4. A globe holder comprising a support having a substantially horizontal base, and cylindrical sides extending upwardly at the periphery of the base, a cylindrical locking sleeve around said cylindrical sides, the locking sleeve having a lower edge and being slidable on said cylindrical sides between an upper and a lower position, at least one finger rigidly secured to the underside of the base and projecting downwardly therefrom and then outwardly for engaging the inner surface of a globe, another finger having a pivotal mounting on the underside of the base adjacent its periphery and being pivotable on said mounting about a substantially vertical axis, said other finger having a first portion projecting downwardly and then outwardly from said mounting for engaging the inner surface of a globe and having a lever portion extending from said mounting substantially horizontally under the base and approximately at right angles to said first portion when viewed from below, the lever portion being of such length that when said first portion is in globe engaging position the end of the lever portion is adjacent the periphery of the base, the lever portion when the locking sleeve is in the upper position being swingable outwardly beyond the periphery of the base to pivot said first portion inwardly out of globe engaging position, the lever arm when swung outwardly extending below the lower edge of the locking sleeve so that said' lower edge may rest on the lever arm, the locking sleeve when the lever arm is not swung outwardly being slidable'downwardly to the lower position where it surrounds the periphery of the base thereby preventing the lever arm from swinging outwardly beyond'the periphery of the base.

5. A globe holder comprising a support having a substantially horizontal base and cylindrical sides extending vertically from the periphery of the base, a cylindrical locking sleeve around said cylindrical sides, the locking sleeve having a lower edge and being slidable on said cylindrical sides between an upper and a lower position, a plurality of fingers secured to the underside of the base and projectingdownwardly therefrom and then'outwardly for engaging the inner surface of a globe, one of the fingers havinga pivotal mounting on'the underside of the base and being pivotable on said mounting about a substantially vertical axis, said finger having a lever arm extending under the base from said mounting, the lever arm when the locking sleeve is in the upper position being swingable beyond the periphery of the base to' pivot said finger inwardly out of globe engaging position, the lever arm when swung outwardly extending below the lower edge of the locking sleeve so that said lower edge may rest on thelever arm, the locking sleeve when the lever arm is not swung outwardly being slidable downwardly to the lower position where it surrounds the peripheryof the base'thereby preventing the lever arm from swinging outwardly beyond the periphery of the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

